Ancient Syriac–Assyrian reliefs in Nohadra, Iraq, vandalized

NOHADRA, Iraq — An ancient Syriac–Assyrian archeological site in Nohadra (Duhok) was vandalized by unknown persons on Friday.

The site at Halamata Cave (Ma’althaya) on Zawa Mountain, south of Nohadra (Duhok), is nearly 3,000 years old. It is known as the Maltai reliefs and depicts King Sennacherib who ruled the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 704 to 681 BC.

This is the third time in seven years that this site has been damaged.

“Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)”, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”, and other Arabic and English writings were spray painted on the reliefs.

There is a significant number of ancient sites in Nohadra, including Halamata Cave. Many were cataloged by foreign expeditions in 1845, including a crossing linking Nohadra and Nineveh Plains, and the Sennacherib Canal, which irrigates agricultural lands by transferring water from the Khans region to Nineveh.